Latch construction



D. W. TOWER.

LATCH CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED 020.4. 1918.

1,351,222, Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

D. w. TOWER. LATCH CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 4, 1918.

l 85 1 222, Patented Aug. 31, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Qwer- STTES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL TOWER, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO GRAND RAPIDS BRASS CO., 0F GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICH- IG'ALN.

LATCH CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 31, 1-920.

Application filed December 4,1918. Serial No. 265,249.

2' '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL lV. Townn, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Ra aids, in the county of Kent and State of ichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latch Constructions; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to latch constructions, particularly adapted for use on refrigerators, and it is the primary object and purpose of the invention to produce a latch construction which may be formed entirely from sheet metal at a relatively low cost of manufacture and which is adapted for use on refrigerators or like structures, serving to automatically holdthe door closed as it is moved to closed positiornyet readily operable to release the door for opening whenever desired. The invention comprises many novel structural features and arrangements of parts for successfully attaining these ends, as will fully appear in detail from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of the in vention, in which drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation showing the latch construction applied to a door and.

casing or jamb therefor, said door and jamb being disclosed in fragmentary portions v Y nected to and depends from sa1d PIOJQClDlOD 8. In construction the handle is formed only.

Fig. 2' is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is an under plan of the latch which is attached to the door.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line H of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5' is a side elevation of the adjustable keeper adapting the latch for attachment to different thicknesses of doors, the view being from the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is a view looking at the bottom of the kee er.

Fig. is a side elevation of one of the members going to make up the adjustable keeper.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation, partly broken away and in section, of the operating handle for the latch, and p Fig.9 is an under plan of the latch h0us ing, the under covering plate for the lock mechanism of the latch being removed.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different views of the drawings.

The latch is secured adjacent the free vertical edge of a door 1, and the keeper associated therewith is attached to the door jamb or casing 2 in position to cooperate therewith. The latch, in construction, includes a housing 3, the interior portion of which is raised to form ahousing for the lock mechanism for the latch, said housing being indicated at 4, while a portion 5 is raised still higher adjacent one side of the housingmember 8 in which the actuating spring of the latch is housed. This housing member is secured tothe door by means of screws or similar attaching devices and is brought either to the edge of the door as shown or very close thereto, there being a slight choice of position for the latch at the free edge of the door as will later appear. In'the upper side of the housing portion 5 a slot 6 is cut and within said portion 5 and along its outer side a plate 7 is positioned, it having a reduced projection 8 passing through the upper side of the portion 5. The plate 7 is fixed to the housing by electric welding, the spots of welding being indicated at 7.

The handle of the latch is pivotally con- The pivot passes through said pieces 9 and 10 after which the upper portion of the piece 10 is passed inwardly through slot 6 forming an arm 12 between which and the lower end of the housing portion 5 a coiled spring 13 under compression is interposed,

this forming a rigid and strong connection. I

its ends being held in place by a projection 12 on the arm 12, and a tang 1 1 struckunwardly from the portion 5. The other piece 9 of the handle is likewise formed wlth an inwardly extending arm 15 which passes along the outer side of the housing portlon 5 for a distance andis then bent laterally, making a sectionrlG around which a sleeve 17 of metal is placed and secured by electric welding, the Weld being indicated at .25 of a reinforcing angle, the other leg 26 of which passes under the base 18 and is secured thereto by electric welding as indicated at 26 With this construction, the plate 20 may be adjusted in or out with respect to the base 18 and the door jamb 2 to which it is attached by screws, as is evident.

A latch and keeper therefor of the construction described when attached, respectively, to the door and the door jamb of a refrigerator or like structure serve to hold the door in tightly closed position, it being evident that when the door is closed, sleeve 17 rides against and under the incline 21 until it passesback of the edge 22, whereupon the force of spring 13 tends to force the sleeve 17 upwardly against the slight rearward incline of said edge 22, holding the door in tightly closed position. This action takes place automatically with the closing of the door; To open the door it is merely necessary to grasp the handle 11 and impart an outward pull to the same, whereupon spring 13 is compressed and the sleeve 1? moved so as to pass the lower projection of the keeper. the door opening with the one operation. With dilferent doors having different rises over the door jamb, it is merely necessary to adjust the keeper member 20 to proper position, and by reason of the fact that the sleeve17 is positioned above the outer surface of the door, the latch may be removed slightly away from the extreme edge of the door, if desired, the keeper necessarily moving closer to the edge of the jamb if this is done.

A locking mechanism may be added to the latch, occupying'the spaceunder the lower raised housing portion 4-. A thin plate of sheet metal is located against the under side of the metal forming. said raised housing portion and. is welded thereto at sp0ts, inl icated at 27 and formed withretaining ears 28 for holding a fiat spring 29 with which one end of the pivotally mounted locking bolt 30 engages. The plate 27 is also formed with portions 31 turned substan tially at right angles at opposed sides, from which narrower tangs 32 project, the latter being turned to engage against and hold the under plate 33 in place, this-completing the lock. The pivotally mounted bolt to be moved by a key into and out of operative position with the arm 12 is not new and a specific description of its construction and operation is not needed. The plate 27 attached to a sheet metal latch housing isnovel as well as the means used to retain the two plates 27 and 33 together. This locking mechanism is simple and practical and is very effective in operation. It may be entirely dispensed with in those latches where no lock is wanted.

This construction of latch mechanism is economically produced by stamping the parts from sheet metal, presents a good appearance and is fully practical, durable and eflicient in all respect I claim:

1. In a latch, a sheet metal housing having a raised portion one side of which is substantially flat, a plate of flat metal located within the raised portion and against 9 said flat side of the same, and provided with a part projecting through and above the top of the housing, and means consisting of electric welds between the plate and side of the housing for permanently connecting them together, substantially as described.

2. In a latch construction, a housing having a raised portion provided with a slot in the top thereof, a member connected to the housing and projecting outwardly from the top thereof, a handle comprised of two pieces of fiat metal lying one at each side of the member and pivotally connected thereto and a third depending handle portion se-' cured to said pieces, one of said pieces having an arm extending through the slot into the housing and the otherhaving an arm passing alongside of the housing and turned laterally at its free end, and a spring dis posed between the first arm and the housing within the housing, substantially as described.

3. VA handle for latches formed from three pieces of flat metal, two of said pieces being 111g a raised portion provided With a slot in the top thereof, a member connected to the housing and projecting outwardly from the top thereof, a handle having a divided upper end one part passing to each side of said member and pivotally connected thereto, each part being; of flat relatively thin metal and one part passing into the housing through said slot, and the other part passing alongside of the housing and having 10 a section turned laterally at its free end,

a sleeve around and secured to said section,

and a spring in the housing acting against the part of the handle passed into the housing, substantially as described. 15

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DANIEL WVEBSTER TOWER. 

